Trio of Young Local Surfers Have a Bright Future

Surfing, and surf culture, has been woven into the fabric and way of life on the East End for decades. Many generations of surfers from all walks of life have tucked a board under their arm and plunged into the waves, from Montauk to Westhampton Beach, and everywhere in between. It’s a pursuit that requires bravery, athleticism and above all respect for Mother Nature, and it can certainly be humbling. But it’s also welcoming in many ways, accessible to people of all ages, genders, and ability levels, as long as they have a willingness to get back up again after getting knocked down and aren’t afraid of getting wet.

Well-known spots like Ditch Plains in Montauk and Ponquogue Beach in Hampton Bays are packed with surfers in the summer months, but the area has its standouts in the sport, including several young, up-and-comers who have not only earned local notoriety for their skills on a wave but have also made a name for themselves nationally as well, and are keen on seeing just how far the sport can take them as they prepare to expand their horizons beyond their hometowns. Here’s a look at three homegrown teenage surfers who have made a name for themselves.

Becoming a surfer was essentially an inevitability for Chase Lieder. Three generations of his family have been surfing in Montauk, dating back to the 1970s, when his grandfather, Craig Lieder Sr., opened Sunwear Surf Shop on Main Street, in the space that is now home to Plaza Sports. Chase’s father, Craig Lieder Jr., taught him how to surf at a young age, and he’s carried on the tradition ever since.

Lieder — who will attend Saddleback Community College in Mission Viejo, California, in the fall — focused primarily on the competition aspect of surfing in his younger years, and he’s still committed to traveling internationally to achieve those goals, but as he’s gotten older, he’s seen the value in turning some of his attention to the lifestyle aspect of surfing, and incorporating that into his brand and his overall vision for what surfing means to him and where he hopes it will take him in the future.

In mid-April, he was busy preparing for a trip to Saladita, on the Pacific coast of Mexico, to compete in the Mexi Log Fest, an invite-only longboard event that features 90 of the best male and female longboarders in the world. It was his second time competing in the event, which was held in a different location this year. Last year, he finished in the top eight.

In the spring, Lieder was also preparing to compete again in the World Surf League Longboard Qualifying Series. He placed 10th in that event last year, when it was held in Pismo Beach, California.

In the age of influencers and Instagram, building a brand or online following can also feel like a competitive sport, and putting intention behind all of it can sometimes feel out of sync with the laid back vibes of surfing culture. But it’s also a vital element and pathway to success and opportunity, particularly for young, up-and-coming surfers, in a sport where having the best gear and getting to the best waves can be costly and time consuming.

Lieder has more than 7,000 followers on Instagram, and posts videos and content on his YouTube channel as well. As for his “brand,” Lieder tries to keep it simple, and real.

“Montauk is my brand; this is where I live and the place I’m surfing at,” he said. “That’s been my building block, all the people I surround myself with. There’s a very strong tradition out here, and my family is three generations deep in surfing out here.”

Finding success at competitions during his younger years helped Lieder gain some notoriety within the surfing community, and he parlayed that into his approach to the sport now.

“When I got good at competitions, I started free surfing and posting videos, and that’s when sponsorships flowed in,” he said.

Lieder has had sponsorships over the years, including with Hurley and Michael Takayama Surfboards, which “make the best longboards on the market,” he said.

Lieder has won four NSSA national titles in the open longboard and explore longboard divisions, and seems to have found his niche there, although he still competes in the shortboard division as well.

His father is a big part of his success as well, not only because he taught Lieder how to surf, but because he has been diligent about helping produce much of the content on Lieder’s social media channels, including the video footage of him surfing.

“He’s really been there by my side,” Lieder said. “He’s my major role model.”

Lieder’s aspirations in the sport are multifaceted as he gets ready to enter the next phase of his life on the West Coast.

“My first goal is to win a couple of world titles in longboard and maybe even shortboard,” he said. “And to inspire the youth, the younger kids that are coming up who look up to me, and show them the right path. The third goal would be just to live a happy, surf-filled life.”

Lieder is already well on his way in terms of achieving most of those goals — he surfed in Hawaii for the first time when he was just 12, and has surfed in Peru as well. His dream destinations are now Ireland, Indonesia, Bali and the infamous surf break Teahupo’o in Tahiti.

But for Lieder there’s no place like home, and it’s obvious when he speaks about Montauk and the surfing culture there how much it means to him and how much pride he feels for the town.

“It’s very seasonal, but you see all the older guys that you always look up to when you paddle out,” he said. “You surf in the wintertime and paddle out even when it’s freezing cold, and you get absolutely humbled, and you just realize what a special spot you live in, in the world. Even though it’s cold sometimes and warm other times, it’s a special zone, and a very tight-knit community. Some of the best surfers on the East Coast are from out here.”

Montauk has a longstanding reputation as a top East Coast surfing destination, but it’s not the only East End locale with a strong surfing tradition. The Hampton Bays-Westhampton area has also produced some talent over the years, and the latest strongest example of that is East Quogue resident Miller Brennan. Like Lieder, Brennan is heading to the West Coast in the fall, where he will attend San Diego State University and plans to join the college’s surf team.

Brennan, 18, and a senior at Westhampton Beach High School, has been surfing for a decade, getting his start by tagging along with his father, who he’d watch surf at local spots like Ponquogue Beach in Hampton Bays, and a spot a bit farther east down the beach known as The Bowl.

“He taught me how to surf and from day one, I was hooked,” Brennan said. “What I love most about surfing is every wave you ride is different and there are endless moves you can do on a wave, you can be as creative as you want on the wave or as chill but both work and are super fun.”

Brennan said he enjoys surfing with friends in the summer at Ponquogue, but his dedication to surfing means he’s out there all year round.

“Throughout the winter it gets really cold but the only way to improve is to surf all year round,” he said. “The good news is it’s never crowded.”

Brennan got his start in the sport aspect like Lieder, first attending Eastern Surfing Association events, before stepping up to the NSSA (National Scholastic Surfing Association) competitions. He parlayed success there into an invitation to compete in the USA Surfing Prime Events U18 division; the USA Surfing Association is the Olympic governing body and chooses who will surf in the Olympics for the United States.

When he was in sixth grade, Brennan won the ESA’s Northeast Regional Championship in the longboard division for his age group, which also helped him qualify for the ESA All-Star team. The team makes an annual trip to Hawaii to compete on the north shore on Oahu. Brennan has had success in the shortboard division as well, and also competed in California, in the NSSA National Championships at Huntington Beach, and at the Rip Curl Grom Search. Surfing at those events in California solidified his desire to attend college there, Brennan said.

“After some research, the best schools for surfing with good surf teams were pretty competitive academically,” he said. “I knew I had to take my schoolwork seriously and take harder classes to help my chances of getting into these schools. Getting into San Diego State University this spring was a huge part of my goal to continue to compete in surfing.”

Brennan plans to major in environmental science and pursue a career in that field.

As for his long-term goals in surfing, Brennan isn’t afraid to dream big.

“Every kid who surfs and watches surf videos wants to become a professional surfer one day,” he said. “The lifestyle and the waves the pros get to surf look amazing. My dream is to be able to go to college and still progress to the goal of being a pro someday. I’m hoping the two will support each other.”

In terms of support, Brennan said he’s been fortunate over the years in that area as well. He gave credit to Shawn Mett, who owns Island Surf in Westhampton Beach, for sponsoring him through the shop and also helping connect him with other brand sponsors in both surfing and skateboarding, including Sector 9 Skateboard, Rip Curl, O’Neill and Savage Surfboards, to name a few.

For almost as long as she can remember, Chloe Coleman has been in the water and on a surfboard. She started when she was just 5 years old, influenced by her father. It has been a tradition for the entire family, including her brother, who is a talented surfer as well.

Despite her early introduction to surfing, Coleman said it wasn’t necessarily love at first paddle-out.

“I’ve always loved the water but I didn’t really get into surfing until I was about 11,” she said, adding that she exclusively rode shortboards at the time. “My dad definitely had a big impact on my surfing, but the biggest impact was my friends,” she continued, adding that her brother and a group of male friends kept on her to surf.

During those earlier years of surfing, Coleman admits, she thought longboards were “just for the dads,” but she forced herself to challenge that notion a few years ago, and now the longboard has become her trademark.

Coleman does compete, and set off for Saladita, Mexico, at the same time as her fellow Montauk resident Lieder to take part in the Mexi Log Fest. But she said the lifestyle aspect of the sport is where she feels most at home.

“I love surfing so much,” she said. “It brings me peace and allows me to forget about anything that’s bothering me. I feel relaxed and most present when I’m in the water.”

With that in mind, Coleman said she tries to surf every day, and even on the days where she isn’t carrying a board under her arm, she tries to get in the water. Her favorite local spots are Ditch Plains, and some of the coves in Montauk. Destinations farther afield that she’s surfed and love include Barbados, Mexico and Costa Rica.

Coleman is set to graduate from East Hampton High School in the fall and will join fellow East End resident Brennan at San Diego State University. Like Lieder and Brennan, she’s earned sponsorship support.

“Michael Takayama builds some of the best boards I have ever ridden, and I’m super grateful for Cynthia Rowley for supporting me with cute suits for contests,” she said.

As for her goals with surfing, Coleman said she simply wants to have fun and continue competing at a higher level but without being under a pressure cooker.

“I really enjoyed surfing more festival-style contests,” she said. “I compete as much as I can, but I really enjoy the free aspect with less pressure.”